The Monterey Board of Mayor and Aldermen will consider a proposal from a local group to use state funding to complete the trail system at Meadow Creek Park.
Upper Cumberland Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association representative Jeremy Robinson said the volunteer organization has already completed approximately eight miles of multi-use trails over the last six years. Robinson said the group needs roughly $300,000 to finish the final six to seven miles of the project, which would include a bridge over Meadow Creek to create a full loop around the lake.
“We love Meadow Creek, we go out there all the time, people are hiking and biking, they tell us how much they love the trail system,” Robinson said. “But we want to see it done. Other land managers have asked us to help with their trail systems, and we have said no, we have an obligation to Monterey right now to finish this.”
Robinson said the group is a volunteer advocacy organization rather than a professional trail-building crew and that members are struggling to balance full-time jobs with the labor required to finish the expansion. Robinson said the city should consider using a portion of a $500,000 state appropriation recently secured for the park to hire professional builders to complete the work.
“As a hundred-member volunteer group, we put over 4,500 hours into this,” Robinson said. “A lot of us like this is our flagship project. We maintain trails throughout the Upper Cumberland, about five to six right now. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a labor of love.”
The board also reviewed a $320,000 proposal for new playground equipment at Meadow Creek Park, which would be funded by the same state appropriation. Board Member Cecilia Paulson said the city should prioritize the trail system over the playground to maximize the park’s natural resources.
“I, for one, committed to the trail building because that was what we were emphasizing, not just the playground,” Paulson said. “We have a master plan over there and the trail building was one of the magnets and that was the thing that would exploit the natural resource we’ve got. In terms of priorities, trails, playgrounds, whatever after that.”
Alderman Jim Wolfgram said the city should also investigate installing permanent restroom facilities at the park. Wolfgram said the current portable toilet is insufficient for a facility intended to be a high-quality destination for visitors.
“If this covers everything and anything, what we really need is some pit toilets out there,” Wolfgram said. “Because right now we’re trying to build a world-class park and trying to put all this money into it, we’ve got this one lonely little porta-potty that I saw nicer porta-potties at base camps in Iraq.”
The board voted to table the playground proposal until members can receive written clarification on the specific stipulations of the state funding. Board Member Bill Wiggins said the city has time to research the best use of the money because the appropriation will not be available until the new fiscal year begins in July.